Divulgences
by Lady Arreya
Summary: AU scenes from "Shattered." Inspired by Delwin's story, "Fragment." Now even more AU than ever! P/T, Seska.


Title: Divulgences  
Summary: AU scenes from "Shattered." Inspired by Delwin's story, "Fragment." Now even more AU than ever! P/T, Seska.  
Rating: T

A/N: This story popped into my head after I read "Fragment" by Delwin, which is an absolutely brilliant AU "Shattered" story featuring Season 7 B'Elanna and Season 1 Tom.

fanfiction -dot- net /s/s9287593/1/Fragment

I was also influenced by another excellent "Shattered" coda, "Temporal Discoveries" by Ruchira.

fanfiction -dot- net /s/5311283/1/Temporal-Discoveries

* * *

B'Elanna crossed her arms across her chest and warily eyed the Kazon guarding her.

Chakotay had sent her and Ayala to a corridor outside Main Engineering to inject the bioneural gel packs with chroniton-infused serum. Unfortunately, the Kazon had access to that corridor, and she and Ayala had been overpowered.

Ayala had managed to escape, but she'd been forced to surrender. She wasn't in any condition to fight.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tom and Harry slumped on the ground, unconscious. They appeared to have been stunned by phaser fire, she noted anxiously. The Kazon must have had access to the corridor they'd been sent to work on too.

Chakotay hadn't told her what time frame Tom and Harry were from, but she surmised that it was several years ago. They both looked younger, thinner and had longer hair compared to when she had last seen them. That meant they knew nothing of the future. It was safer that way. They couldn't give away her secrets.

B'Elanna willed herself to stay calm. She knew it was only a matter of time before Chakotay came back to Main Engineering with reinforcements. She just had to stall Seska until that happened.

That wouldn't be too difficult. The damage from the temporal anomaly had caused the warp core to go offline, and Seska would be preoccupied with that for a while.

After Seska finished giving orders to the Kazon attempting repairs, she made her way over to B'Elanna.

For a moment Seska merely eyed her with malicious glee, taking in her protruding abdomen.

"Well, well, well. I see I'm not the only one who's been busy. Congratulations, B'Elanna."

B'Elanna tensed. Automatically, her arms wrapped around her stomach protectively.

"So who's the lucky guy?" Seska asked conversationally, as if they were having a friendly chat over a cup of _pejuta_.

"Let me guess," said Seska, pretending to think it over. "Young Harry Kim?"

When B'Elanna didn't answer, Seska answered for her.

"No, he wouldn't be ready to be a father, even five years from now."

Seska tilted her head to one side, contemplating her with a knowing smile.

"Chakotay, then? You always did carry a torch for him. A little brother or sister for my baby boy – wouldn't that be precious?" Seska laughed delightedly. It just sounded sinister to B'Elanna's ears.

Obviously Seska hadn't yet discovered that Chakotay was not actually the father of her baby. B'Elanna was not about to enlighten her.

"It's a dream come true," Seska continued. "My best friend and I raising babies at the same time."

"I am not your best friend, Seska," B'Elanna ground out.

Seska ignored her.

"Just think, B'Elanna. We could trade stories, advice. Our babies could grow up together," she said laconically.

B'Elanna clamped her lips together, refusing to be baited anymore. She wasn't going to play "new moms club" with Seska, of all people.

Seska's interrogation was cut short as Tom regained consciousness. He grappled briefly with the Kazon guarding him. The Kazon hit him hard, and Tom fell back down to the ground, dazed. The Kazon trained his phaser rifle on him, finger on the trigger, preparing to fire at point-blank range.

"No!" B'Elanna yelled out before she could stop herself.

 _Damn!_ she cursed to herself, but it was too late. She had given herself away.

Seska's eyes narrowed. She had heard the anguish in B'Elanna's voice. She was far too perceptive to have missed that.

"So. Tom Paris, hmm? Really scraping the bottom of the barrel, B'Elanna," Seska tsked in mock disappointment.

B'Elanna bit back her retort. _You're with Maje Culluh, but you think_ _ **I'm**_ _scraping the bottom of the barrel?_

Seska wasn't finished. "What did you call him? Let's see. An egotistical, philandering pig, was it?"

B'Elanna couldn't help but cringe. She did remember calling him that in front of Seska.

However, that had been a long time ago.

Tom might have acted like a pig from time to time to cover his pain back then, but it was nothing compared to how the misogynistic Kazon treated women.

How could Seska stand it?

But B'Elanna already knew the answer.

Seska had no qualms about using her body and her sexuality to gain power and control. She had impregnated herself with Chakotay's DNA, or had tried to anyway, in order to manipulate him. Then she had told Culluh that Chakotay had violated her, when the reality was that it had been the other way around.

Fortunately for Chakotay, the Doctor's scans had clearly shown that Seska's baby was half-Cardassian and half-Kazon.

Which meant that Seska and Culluh had –

Grimacing, B'Elanna firmly blocked that image out of her mind. She did not want to dwell on that at all.

 _At least the father of my baby asked me to marry him first!_ B'Elanna thought caustically.

In the corner, Harry groaned and sat up. He caught sight of the Kazon guarding him and Tom, and he had the sense to stay put.

Just then, one of the Kazon working on the engine repairs approached Seska cautiously.

"Seska. We've stopped the coolant system leak but the warp core is still offline."

Swearing, Seska stalked over to the console he'd been working on.

As she watched Seska from across the room, B'Elanna felt a deep sadness for Seska's baby. He would never know his mother's love. Even her son was just another weapon to her. What would become of him?

She hoped that before Seska died Culluh would find out that the child was actually his and not mistreat him.

B'Elanna already felt fiercely protective of her own unborn child, nurtured within in the shelter of her body.

But then, she and Tom loved each other, and their baby had been conceived out of a mutual desire to start a family.

As if sensing her turmoil, her baby girl started kicking her vigorously in the ribs. B'Elanna took some deep breaths and rocked back and forth slightly to calm her down.

She felt comforted by her baby's presence, secure in the knowledge that she always had a part of Tom with her. A constant reminder of his love for her and her love for him.

Even if he had no idea right now. Even if that man over there wasn't her Tom. He would be some day.

After a few minutes Seska suddenly slammed her fist against the console, fed up with the lack of progress.

"Enough," Seska commanded. She gestured to the Kazon guarding Tom and Harry. "Bring him," she ordered, pointing to Tom.

The Kazon dragged Tom to his feet. Harry looked alarmed.

Tom winced but still looked defiant as they made their way over.

Seska smiled triumphantly. "Voyager's chief engineer here is going to get the warp core back online for us. Aren't you, B'Elanna."

"I'm not helping you, Seska," B'Elanna said firmly.

"Oh, I think you will," Seska said ominously. "Otherwise you can say goodbye to loverboy here right now."

Seska drew her own phaser and aimed it directly at Tom's chest.

"This phaser's set to 'kill,'" Seska told her coldly.

B'Elanna swallowed hard, knowing that Seska wasn't bluffing. In fact, Seska would probably take great pleasure in killing him in cold blood in front of her. Especially in light of Tom's role in flushing out Michael Jonas as the spy and thwarting Seska's plan to ambush Voyager in the Hemikek system, which would still be fresh in Seska's mind. She always did hold a grudge.

 _What is taking Chakotay so long?_ B'Elanna wondered anxiously.

Seska looked at her expectantly.

"All right," B'Elanna said at last. "But he stays within my sight at all times."

Satisfied for the moment, Seska lowered her phaser, nodded to the Kazon guard and went to check the other console nearby that another Kazon was working on.

Tom staggered and sagged against the railing. His head was spinning, and he was in considerable pain.

He didn't know all the details of what had happened with Seska, but he'd seen enough to determine that she was a formidable enemy.

What he couldn't understand was why Seska would want to use him as leverage to force B'Elanna to help her and the Kazon. B'Elanna hated him. All the former Maquis did. He ought to be the last person on board Voyager that B'Elanna would want to save. Especially when Harry was right over there. Even though she hadn't known Harry for very long, she already had a soft spot in her heart for him.

Tom tried to focus. It wasn't easy. He was feeling lightheaded.

"B'Elanna. Don't do it," he said urgently in a low tone. "Don't help them."

"Silence!" the Kazon guard barked as he prodded Tom in the shoulder with his phaser rifle.

B'Elanna flinched. She shook her head slightly, imploring him with her eyes to keep quiet.

He stared at her in confusion, finally registering that she looked very different than when he'd seen her earlier that day.

Her hair was longer, straighter and a lighter shade. She looked a few years older.

And she'd gained weight.

No, that wasn't quite right.

The weight was completely concentrated in her midsection.

She was _pregnant_.

That revelation sent his mind reeling.

As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, he caught sight of the narrow gold band encircling the ring finger of her left hand.

It was a wedding ring.

Hardly anyone wore them anymore. And yellow gold wedding bands of that type hadn't been in style since the late 20th century. Only a die-hard aficionado of that era would insist on them.

 _Only a die-hard aficionado like me,_ he realized with a start.

* * *

After Seska and the Kazon had been disarmed and safely secured in the Jefferies tube, Captain Janeway instructed them all to return to their original sections.

In a few minutes, Chakotay would initiate the warp pulse to restore the timeline. If it worked, the rest of them wouldn't have any memory of what had happened.

They all left Engineering except for the captain and Chakotay.

As the turbolift doors opened, Ayala said, "Why don't you two go ahead. We'll take the next one."

Harry looked a little perplexed but didn't argue. Seven's expression remained impassive, while Naomi and Icheb exchanged knowing glances.

Tom followed B'Elanna into the turbolift, grateful for the precious few minutes of privacy.

Now that his mind was clearer and the lighting better, he studied her carefully.

B'Elanna looked calm and composed, almost serene. She had that healthy glow that all pregnant women had, and she looked beautiful.

Was this really the same woman who'd sat next to him in the briefing room only this morning, rolling her eyes in disdain at his lack of understanding regarding temporal mechanics? Who'd punched Carey's lights out just the other day, breaking his nose and nearly killing him?

He had no doubt that when riled up she still had a fiery temper. But he detected none of the bitterness, the angry resentment constantly simmering underneath the surface, that he was used to seeing in her.

Instead, her demeanor was open and inviting.

There was so much he wanted to ask her but he knew they only had a few moments together.

"So we get married in the future?" he asked tentatively.

She nodded.

"How did I convince you to marry me?" he wanted to know. "Was it my stunning good looks, my irresistible charm, my rapier wit? The phenomenal sex?"

She flushed slightly but her smile was warm and tender, and her eyes full of love and affection.

"All of the above," she reassured him. "And more."

Tom smiled impishly. "Did I get down on one knee to propose?"

B'Elanna smiled fondly at the memory. "Actually, you got down on both knees," she said playfully.

"Both knees?" he echoed. "You mean I had to beg you to marry me?"

"There may have been some begging involved," she confirmed.

She laughed at his expression. "I'm just kidding."

"Are we having a boy or a girl?" he asked, more seriously.

"A girl," she said softly.

His entire face lit up. His relationship with his father had been so conflicted, he'd always worried that he would have a difficult relationship with a son of his own. But a daughter. That was different. He'd always wanted a daughter.

He reached out hesitantly to her but then stopped.

She took his hand in hers and placed it on her rounded stomach.

On their baby.

He stared in wonder. He could hardly believe it. When Captain Janeway had approached him at Auckland, he'd never dreamed of all this. He'd never dared to hope for anything beyond freedom.

Suddenly, he felt like the luckiest man in the universe. He sincerely hoped that his future self appreciated all that he had and didn't ever take it for granted.

The turbolift slowed to a halt, and he pulled his hand away reluctantly.

As he exited the turbolift, he turned back to look at her. He stood there for a moment, wanting to memorize every detail. Then he realized he didn't have to. The timeline would be restored momentarily, and he would get to see her this way every day, every night, for the rest of his life. He only had to wait.

He wasn't sure what to say, so he simply said, "See you soon."

B'Elanna smiled softly, as though he had said those words to her a hundred times before, in exactly the same way. And maybe he had.

She patted her stomach gently. "We'll be waiting for you, Tom."

The End!

* * *

Author's endnote: So many codas. So many possibilities. Mostly I just couldn't resist the idea of Seska taunting pregnant B'Elanna!

My favorite "Shattered" coda that I think fits best into canon is still "Now and Then" by Barbara Watson.

deck9section12 -dot- federalproductions -dot- com /short-stories-missing-scenes-codas/now-and-then/


End file.
